Life-saving suit or garment.



E. F. HIGKMAN.

LIFE SAVING SUIT 0R GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1913.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

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LIFE SAVING sun 0R GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.26,1913.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

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lEMMETT F. HICKMAN, 0F NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ALBERT I MUNIDEN, 0F NORFOLK, -VIB,GINI A. a

LIFE-SAVING surr on GARMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Application filed November 28, 1918. Serial No. 803,297.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EMMETT F. HICK- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saw ing Suits orGarments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesto life saving suits or garments.

The object of the invention is to provide means by which lives may be saved from drowning in shipwrecks or other-disasters.

Further objects and advantages will be more fully described herein and specifically pointed out 'in'the claims, recourse being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which Figure 1 is a front view of the device or garment. Fig. 2 is a plan of the airinlet plate or register. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a front view upon an enlarged scale of the head or body portion of the suit or garment. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the head portion taken on the line 1-2 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan of one of the inner tubes of the buoyant rings or tube casings. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of the garment showing an additional lining forming aircompartments therein, and Fig. Sis an elevation of a rubber cap used as an auxiliary to insure a more perfect preventative against the entrance of water to the garment.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate similar parts in all the several views 1 is the body portion of the garment having the leg and feet members 2 as well as the arms 3 terminating in mitts or gloves as shown in Fig. 1. The body portion from the feet to the knees thereof is suitably lined with wool felt; the rest ofthe garment, except the head portion, is lined with wool cloth. The feet portions are heavily lined with felt or other material for warmth and as an aid for keeping the body upright in the water. The garment is adapted for men, women and children and the outer material or fabric may be made of light duck,

rubber or other light impervious material.

4 is the head or upper portion of the garment and is heavily lined with wool felt, the head portion being open at the top, as at 5, in Figs. 1 and 5. The head portion is provided with celluloid, mica'or glass win (low-s or sights 6.

7 is an air inlet or register having a rotatorlly operated closing plate 8 so that the air inlet gauze or perforations 9 may be closed to exclude water until the heado f the wearer of the garment is above the surface at which time the air inlet may be uncov cred to admit air within, as desired.

10 is a handle mounted on the movable closing plate 8 for convenience in operating the same, also for the purpose of pumping air into the garment by pulling" the handle in and out by hand in the manner of a bellows by which means air may be drawn through the gauze or perforations 9 to the interior of the garment at will. The plate 8 is firmly held to the gauze or perforated plate 7 by means of the screw 11 and spring 12 Fig. 3. r

13 are a series of rubber casings or rings around the waist portion of the garment and contain inner or inflation tubes 14, Figs. 1 and 6. the latter having their two ends closed and lapped, as shown in Fig. 6 at 15.

16 (Fig. l) are inflating pipes communicating with the inner tubes 14 by which they are inflated either by means of a pump or other means. The pipes 16 are suitably fitted with unions, nipples and check or non-return valves, as at 17, to prevent the escape of air from the tubes 14. The check valves. by means of the nip les and unions, may be taken out renewe or cleaned, as may be desired.

18 are mouth pieces of the tubes 16 and 19 is a strap for holding the tubes to the outer fabric of the garment, as shown in Fig. 1.

20, Fig. 1, are dotted lines showing the tubes 16 when it is desired to let them pass through the fabric of the garment and be combined bv a suitable connection or mouth piece whereby the suit may be inflated from within the same by the wearer.

The outer rings or casings 13 have openings 21 for the insertion of the inner tubes and after they are placed therein the openings are tightly laced, as shown in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to use the garment, the feet of the wearer are inserted into the portion 2 and the head portion 4 drawn up from a collapsed position, (shown by the dotted lines 22 in Fig. 1,) over the head of the wearer and tied so as to close the end or tion on the head portion byrmeans of the. i box loops 24, as shown.

25 (Fig. 4) shows the knots when the head portion is gathered and tied when the garmentlis to be used. 1 In order to make a tight joint or, closure,

a bundle of woolen threads or yarn,'forming a compressible cushion one squeezing medium 2G, is placed in the opening 5 of the head or top portion 4:, F ig. 5, so that the Water repelling wool may form a core thereby and the stiff folds of the fabric may be closed thus preventing a leakage of water. The wool or yarn is suitably secured to the neck of the portion 4: by a strap 27 or other means. 7 v i I v In order. to more fully provide against leakage, the cap 28 is provided having: an elastic rim 29, the cap being adapted to fit over the tied portion ofthe head or upper member s of the garment. I

Fig. 7 shows a modified garment having air cells or compartments 30 formed by an additional inner fabric 31 when it is desired to use such a modification.

. The tubes 13 are of such size as to be 511%- cent to support any weight with safety and vary according to the size or weight of the person for which the garment is intended.

"The device, as shown, may be tiuiclily aplied and is practically unslnkab e. As the rawin s lainl 'sliewitlitriidevicewfurther late or; valve provided-With a,,=handle?and spring pressed meanslontop of theplate to preventthe'mgressof:water.1

-32. A deviceof the c1ass.;-described coin-l;

prising a body portion ahead portion having straps and strap holding means and adapted to be tied or drawnabove thewhead of the'wearer, a compressibleor yieldable bundle adapted to be tied within said head portion for rendering the same-water tight,

and. an elastic cap adapted to be placed; over and partly inclose said head portion..-j .1 r

1 In test mony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature inuthepresencept two Witnesses. v hi i E'r'r F. xiii-re l flw z' Witnesses: g

W. B. Bomaow, 'lfnos. E. TAYLOR. 

